Accidents happen accidentally
by Rlybro
Summary: Peter didn't blow up the chemistry lab on purpose, it simply happened In which Peter has an accident during class and no one expects Tony Stark to pick him up from the principal's office. - cross-posted on AO3


Peter didn't blow up the chemistry lab on purpose, it simply happened. The teacher stood in front of the class, explaining something he already understood. Peter got bored, then remembered that he was almost out of web fluids So one thing lead to another and Peter was mixing web fluids under his desk again. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, just a typical Tuesday afternoon. Peter had everything under control. He'd made the web fluids so many times already, he could've done it in his sleep.

Maybe that's why Peter had let his mind drift off. He shouldn't have done that. Overconfidence in one's skills was never a good thing, as his aunt May once told him.

Peter was just fantasizing about his next great superhero adventure. Maybe he could even fight some aliens! Not that he wanted the earth to be invaded, _again._ What would happen if he wore his suit into outer space? An unlikely situation, but it was fun to think about. Perhaps he could ask Mister Stark about it when he was at the compound again.

The mixing of the chemicals went smoothly, until it all went wrong, quickly.

'-Mister PARKER!'

Peter jumped in his chair, instantly snapping out of his fantasies. Unfortunately, that caused him to drop both beakers of chemicals that he held in his hand. Peter was also quite certain that something else, something that definitely shouldn't be mix with the other chemicals, fell into the mix when his knee hit the desk.

'Mister Parker if you could answer the question on the b-'

'GET DOWN!' Peter shouted. He pushed Ned out of his seat, as far away as possible, but still too close for Peter's liking. He tried to cover Ned's body with his own, protecting him from the blast Peter knew was inevitable.

'Mister Parker what are y-' His chemistry teacher was cut off by a loud explosion. The other kids screamed as they duck for cover. Peter cried out in pain as hot acid bit into his back.

The explosion was over in an instance.

It was quiet save for the sizzling of the acid on the tables. Peter stood up, gritting his teeth so he wouldn't scream again. He looked around the room and sighed in relief. At least no one else got hurt because of his mistake.

Ned scrambled to his feet. 'Dude! Are you all right?' He asked worriedly, looking at the burns of on Peter's back.

'I'll be fine', Peter said, trying to look assuring. What he said was true, though his back hurt like hell, Peter knew that I'll heal quickly thanks to his enhanced healing powers. Being a superhero had its perks.

'What the FUCK was that?!' Flash yelled from the back of the classroom. 'Are you trying to kill us, Parker?!'

'What? NO!' The fire alarm went off as soon as the words left his mouth. Followed by the sprinklers.

'Everyone OUT!' Mr. Cobbwell called. The class flooded out of the room. The other classes, upon realizing that this wasn't a drill, were soon to follow.

'You'll be heading towards the principal's office as soon as were allowed back in again, Mister Parker', Mr. Cobbwell told him.

'Yes sir', Peter replied. He flinched when he placed a hand on his shoulder. It was then that he finally noticed his injuries.

'Peter!' He scolded, shocked. 'Why didn't you say something?! We have to bring you to the nurse!'

'Oh, no, no', Peter declined. 'It's not necessary, really!' The wounds would heal within a day, less if he were lucky.

'That's not up for discussion', Mr. Cobbwell said firmly. 'We're going. Now!'

'Yes, sir.'

.

.

.

After an hour, the nurse had finished treating the burns on his back. 'Second-degree burns', she'd scolded. 'What were you thinking!' Peter hadn't managed to reply.

The nurse made him change into a new shirt, since the acid bit through his previous one. So now Peter sat in front of the principal's office, waiting, while wearing a shirt that spelled out 'oops' with the elements of the periodic table. Peter found it quite funny, but he was probably the only one, if the stink eye the secretary gave him was anything to go by.

Eventually, he got called into the office. Principal Morita sat behind his desk while the head chief of the fire department stood beside him. The chief was a buff guy. He had his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. Any other kid would no doubt have been intimidated, but Peter, who fought criminals in his free time, not so much. At least he had the decency to look guilty and apologetic.

'Mister Parker.' Principal Morita gestured for him to sit down. Peter did, careful not to touch the back of the chair.

'What were you doing with those chemicals?' the principal interrogated.

'I- uhm.' Peter couldn't exactly confess that he was making web fluids for his web shooter so he could go catch bad guys as Spider-man. 'I got bored during class, sir. I was experimenting with some chemicals to test their reactions. I shouldn't have done that, it was really stupid. I'm _really_ sorry sir, I truly am. I never meant for anything to happen.'

'Those were dangerous chemicals you were messing with, kid', the chief said. 'They were hazardous _and_ acid. I'm only going to ask this once: Did you do this on purpose?'

 _Wait, what?_ Peter could not believe what he'd just heard. Did they think of him as a terrorist? He was spider-man! He's the one who saved kids from potential bombers, not the other way around!

The shock was no doubt clearly shown on his face. 'N- No!' Peter sputtered. 'I would never- Why would I ever want to do that?!'

The chief shrugged. 'I don't know, revenge on bullies perhaps. For attention. For wanting to drag other innocents down under with you. Or maybe, _just for fun._ '

It took Peter a while to convince them that no, he wasn't a terrorist trying to blow up the brightest minds of their generation. Though the chief still seemed a bit suspicious of Peter.

'I'm sorry if it seemed like we were accusing you of doing anything radical, Mister Parker', principal Morita said. 'But I hope you understand our concerns, as we live in… difficult times.'

Peter nodded.

The principal cleared his throat. 'Anyway, Mister Parker,' he said, 'accident or not, you'll still be suspended.'

'What-' Peter wanted to protest, but he realized that wouldn't matter much. He _did_ cause an explosion during class. He hung his head in defeat. 'Yes, principal Morita.'

'Good', the principal concluded. 'I'll be calling your paren-' he coughed, noticing his mistake '- your legal guardians now.' He started typing into his computer, searching the database for aunt May's number.

'Ah, Peter Parker, found it.' He dialed the number and started to call. Peter knew that May was working a shift at the hospital right now, he wondered if she'd pick up. He secretly hoped that she wouldn't. Not because he didn't want her to know about his screw up- okay, maybe that's not entirely true, but mostly because being called by his principal would just make her worry. Peter didn't want her to worry about him more than she already does.

Peter tried not to be too obvious about his relief when May didn't pick up her phone.

The principal frowned. 'Your aunt seems to be unreachable at the moment. I guess we- oh! There's another number listed.'

'Wait, that won't-' Peter tried to stop him, but Principal Morita was already dialing the number. Peter sighed. It was probably Uncle Ben's old number. Calling him wouldn't do much good.

To Peter's surprise, someone seemed to pick up the phone.

'Hello, am I speaking with Peter Parker's guardian?'

Peter couldn't hear the voice on the other side of the line. He frowned. _Who could it possibly be?_

'I'm principal Morita of Midtown high school of Science and Technology. I- yes, he got himself in trouble... He caused an explosion during chemistry class... I'm afraid so, yes. Second degree burns according to the school nurse- no, no one else got hurt... Yes, right. We'll see you soon, sir.'

 _Sir_. Oh, no. Was it Happy? _Please don't let it be Happy_. Peter was finally starting to get on the man's good side. He's going to be pissed. And he'd tell Mr. Stark, who'd also get mad. Probably. Peter sighed, this was not a good day.

.

.  
Twenty minutes later, the door opened. Peter jumped to his feet. 'Mis- mister Stark!'

'Hey kid', he greeted, taking off his sunglasses.

Peter wasn't the only one surprised, seeing the looks on the principal and the chief's faces.

'Can we finish this up quickly?' Tony asked impatiently. 'I have a meeting to attend in half an hour.'

Principal Morita cleared his throat. 'Yes, of course. Earlier today, Mister Parker here had been mixing some chemicals during class, unsupervised, which lead an explosion. The explosion caused damage to school property, and harm to Peter himself. Mister Parker has violated several school rules and will be suspended for one week and will receive three months of detention afterward.'

Tony Stark nodded. 'Seems reasonable. I'll pay for the damages. Is that all?'

'You seem to take it all very lightly, Mister Stark', the chief scowled. 'I know this isn't the same kind of disaster scale you work with, but even these kinds of 'accidents' are dangerous. It's our job to protect every citizen, especially in public spaces they deem to be safe.'

'I'm not taking this lightly, not at all', Stark said. Though his nonchalant posture seemed otherwise. 'And I understand your concerns. I'll make sure this never happens again. We'll be leaving now, if that's all right.'

Principal Morita nodded.

'Great, okay. I'll have someone contact you about the costs and repairs.' Tony made his way to the door. 'Let's go kid,' he said without looking back.

Peter scrambled to his feet. 'Once again, I'm incredibly sorry for what happened.'

'Uhm Bye', he added awkwardly as he closed the door behind him.

.

.

Peter jogged to catch up with Tony. To be honest, he was still quite shocked that Tony Stark, head of the Stark industries and _Iron man_. Picked him up from the principal's office. Peter had no idea what to say. When he finally tried to break the silence, the lunch bell rang.

In an instant, the hallway flooded with hungry high schoolers. For a moment, Peter feared that Tony would be squashed by the students, but the sea of teenagers literally _parted_ for Tony Stark. Had this happened under any circumstances, Peter would've found it incredibly cool. But at that moment, all he could feel was the embarrassment brought by all the stares and whispers of his fellow peers.

'Peter!'

Peter turned to see Ned running up to him.

'Are you all right?' Ned asked worriedly. 'The burns on you back seemed pretty nasty. You didn't get expelled right?'

'No,' Peter answered quietly, he didn't want the other students (and Tony Stark) to hear what he was saying, 'I'm suspended for a week and three months of detention when I get back. My burns will heal soon, so don't worry. Enhanced healing, remember?'

Ned looked around. 'Where's May?' He asked, having been obnoxious to the whole parting of the sea of students thing. 'She must be pretty pissed right now.' Ned's eyes grew wide upon seeing the man walking in front of them.

' _Tony Stark's_ picking you up from school?!' Ned gasped. 'Dude, that's so cool!'

'No it's not!' Peter hissed. 'It's super embarrassing! Now he'll never see me as the totally mature superhero I am.'

'Don't worry, bro. All you need to do is fight some badass criminals and your reputation will be back to normal in no time', Ned reassured him. 'You're the coolest guy I know. Even Tony Stark has to see that.'

'Thanks, Ned.'

'Walk faster kid, we don't have all day.' Tony called without looking back.

'I'm coming, Mister Stark! 'Peter called. 'Oke, bye Ned. I'll see you next week.'

'Bye Peter. Good luck!'

.

The rest of the walk to the car was awkward. Well, it was for Peter. Did Tony Stark ever feel awkward about anything? Probably not. The only thing that made Peter feel better was the look on Flash's face when they passed him. It was a shame Peter didn't take a picture of it.

When they arrived at Tony's Audi, Peter hesitated to get in. Should he sit in the back seat? That's where he always sat when Happy picked him up. But this time its _Tony_ picking him up. Peter wouldn't want to seem rude by not sitting next to him.

'Hurry up and get into the car, will you?' Tony sounded a bit irritated.

Ah, screw it. Peter wasn't a kid anymore. He's fifteen, and basically an Avenger. He could sit in the passenger seat.

'Did you really had to take time to choose between the passenger seat and the backseats?' Tony asked when Peter sat down next to him.

'...No', Peter lied.

Tony sighed and started the engine.

They didn't talk for the first couple of minutes. Once again, Peter was at a loss trying to find something to say to break the ice.

Tony was the first to speak. 'How's your back?' He asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

'It's getting better', Peter replied.  
'I uhm, I'm sorry, Mister Stark', he added. 'I know you're a busy guy and you had to come pick me up. You probably had better things to do. Are you mad at me for blowing up the chemistry classroom? What am I saying, of course you're mad.' Peter was rambling like he always did when he's nervous. But he couldn't stop. Now he'll only seem more like a fool.

'Kid', Tony interrupted. 'Kid, stop rambling.'

'Sorry.'

'Everyone blows up one or two labs at school', Tony said matter-of-factly. 'Hell, I probably hold the record for blown up school labs.'

'...So you're not mad?' Peter asked hopefully.

'Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I'm pissed', Tony said. Peter sank down into his seat. Big mistake, his burns stung at the friction. 'I expected better from you. What were you even making?'

'Web fluids', Peter answered quietly.

'What? Are you fu- are you kidding me?' Tony asked in disbelief, turning his head to look at him. 'You got suspended by screwing up your web fluids?! Why would you even make that anyway? There's enough to last you a lifetime back at the lab!'

'I know!' Peter grumbled. 'I know that, but I just got bored.'

'I understand how you're feeling', Tony sighed, looking back at the road. 'Trust me, I do. But that's why your aunt and I let you come upstate every weekend to tinker in the labs.'

'I know', Peter sighed, resting his head against the window.

'…But if that's not enough, I guess I can find you some minor project to do at school. _After_ your suspension, of course. Until then, you're grounded.' Peter groaned. 'No laptop, no patrols and I'm taking your suit for a week. Go make homework for the next semester or something.'

' _What?!_ You can't do that, mister Stark!' Peter protested. 'What about Queens? I can't let the people suffer because I'm grounded! What if someone needs to be saved?'

'First of all,' Tony said, ' _I can do whatever I want._ But I guess I can send a bot, if you're that worried about the poor citizens of Queens.'

'Fine', Peter grumbled.

'Hey,' Tony warned, 'don't give me that attitude. You screwed up, now face the consequences. God, I sounded exactly like my dad.'

Peter grinned at the comment.

'Oh, yeah, it's all very funny to you, isn't it', Tony said sarcastically. 'Let's see if you're still laughing when May hears about your little stunt today.'

Peter's smile faltered. He banged his head on the dashboard. 'She's going to be so mad!'

'Oh, she's going to be pissed', Tony added unhelpfully. 'You're lucky I'm the one who showed up. It would've been an entirely different story if your aunt or Pepper answered the call.'

Peter's head perked up from the dashboard. 'Why _did_ you answer the call?' Peter asked. 'Why are you listed as one of my emergency contacts?'

'That's none of your business, kid.'

'Well, technically...'

'Shut up or I'm taking the suit for two weeks.'

'Shutting up right now, sir.'

They fell silent again, but the silence was a pleasant one. Peter connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker and played his favorite Spotify playlist.

Peter stuck his tongue at Tony when he raised a judgemental eyebrow at him.

'Hey', Peter said after a while, 'this isn't the way to the compound. Where are we going?'

'We're getting a burger', Tony answered. 'You made me miss lunch. You hungry?'

'Starving', Peter grinned.


End file.
